The present invention relates to a method of eliminating the corrosivity of hair conditioning compositions. In particular, the addition of a quaternary ammonium phosphate to hair conditioning compositions eliminates the corrosion of stainless steel which comes into contact with the hair conditioning composition during the manufacturing process.
Hair conditioning compositions, including creme rinses, are commonly applied to wet or dry hair to increase the combability, increase the body, and leave the hair with a natural feel. Hair conditioners should also leave hair shiny and manageable. Typical hair conditioning agents employed in hair conditioning compositions include quaternary ammonium compounds such as the quaternary ammonium sulfates and quaternary ammonium chlorides. Also employed as hair conditioning agents are amines neutralized with hydrochloric acid such as the stearyl dimethyl amine salt.
A problem associated with hair conditioning compositions is their corrosivity to stainless steel which comes in contact with the hair conditioning composition during the manufacturing process. Stainless steel equipment use for producing, pumping, homogenizing and transporting hair conditioning compositions during the manufacturing process can be damaged by hair conditioning compositions resulting in considerable economic loss to the equipment.
It has been unexpectedly found that the addition of quaternary ammonium phosphate compounds to hair conditioning compositions can eliminate the corrosion of the hair conditioning compositions to stainless steel. Additionally, it has been unexpectedly found that quaternary ammonium phosphates can be employed as the sole conditioning agent in hair conditioning compositions and exhibit no corrosion to stainless steel.